Snap-hook.



A. A. JOHNSON.

SNAP HOOK APPLICATION FILED mans. 1915.

1 35,480. Patented July 31, 191 7.

ANDREW A. JOHNSON, OF EGGLESTON, MINNESOTA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

SNAP-HOOK.

Patented July 31, 19h.

Application filed May 15, 1915. Serial No. 28,410.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be' it known that LAnoimw A. J oHNsoN,

new and useful Improvements in Snap- Hoo'ks, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to a new and improved snap hook.

The main object thereof is to provide a hook or" this nature which includes means for positively and effectually retaining the closure lug, obviating the danger of the same working loose by the jarring of the harness, or being accidentally sprung by other causes and which eliminates the use of all projections on either the closure lug or the hook body, to the end that a more efii cient, neat,and easily operated device will be presented. k

Various other objects and advantages will become apparent during the'continuance of the following description. Y

The above and other objects which will become apparent, are accomplished by such means as are shown in their preferred form in the accompanying drawings, described in the following specification and then more specifically pointed out in the appended. claims.

In the accompanying drawings wherein like characters designate likeparts throughouttheseveralviews;

Figure l is a sideelevation of my invention. showing parts in section.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of my invention showing parts in section.

Fig. 3 is a. detail view.

'My invention, in its preferred embodiment generally consists of a body structure 10 from one end of which projects a hook structure 11. The other end of the body portion isreduced as at 12, thus forming a shoulder 13 on two sides, while itsother two sides are substantially parallel to one another.

An extension 1st projects from the smaller end of the reduced port-ion12, and is screw threaded as at 15, to receive a fastening element 16. For purpose of attaching'the hook to various supporting strips and the like, a swivel 17 is arranged on the extension 14: and normally held in position through the medium, of the fastening element 16.

For the purpose presently described, a relatively wide and thin casing 18 is arranged about the reduced portion 12, and formed to fit snugly thereon. This casing is evenly tapered, on two sides, throughout its length and is provided with an opening 19 at its smaller end in order to receive the extension li, and allow the casing to be moved vertically thereon when occasion requires. When in its normal position, the larger end of the casing abuts against the shoulder 13, and the sides of the casing lie flush with the corresponding portions of the body structure. Thus it will be appreciated that a neat and compact device is provided which is obviously simple to manipulate.

In order to retain the casing 18 in its normal position. an elastic element 20 is arranged about the extension 1d', the respective end portions of this element engaging the swivel 17 and the smaller end of the casing 18. In the drawings this element is shown in the embodiment of a. coil spring, yet it is to be understood that this construction may bevaried and other elements substituted under certain conditions.

The free end of the hook structure 11 is bifurcated so as to form a cut-out 21, while the furcations are connected through the medium of a pintle 22. The reduced portion 23 of the closure lug or hooked member 2st is now mounted in the cut-out 21, and being provided with an opening, it readily receives the pintle 22, thus it will be understood that the closure lug, is normally held in pivotal relation with the hook structure llso that the same may be manipulated'to allow the hook structure to be moved into an operative position;

The closure lug 24L is enlarged as at 25, whereby an abrupt shoulder 26 is formed adjacent the inner face of the closure lug.

The hooked member 24 is formed with a curved surface as at 27, which will facilitate the locking of the closure lug as will presently appear.

That portion of the body 10 adjacent the free end of the hook structure 11, is provided with a cut-out portion or recess 28, the latter being partially covered by the casing 18 when saidicasing is in its normal position; A shoulder 29 is formed on the body structure, and communicates with the recess 28.

It will now be appreciated that when the cas ing 18 is in its normal position; it will securely lock the hooked member 24 withinthe recess28, provided the hooked member is in its normal position.

In the operation of my invention, the hook is arranged on the harness or other structure in a desired manner, and whenvthe closure lug 2% is in the position shown in Fig. 1, a ring or similar structure may be effectually engaged by the hook portion 11. The ring being in place, the closure lug or hooked member it may be swung on its pivot so that the curved surface 2'? of the enlargement will engage the upper edge of the casing 18 adjacent the cut-out 28. IL slight ressure or stress exerted upon the outer face of the closure lug, will cause the casing 18 to be moved by the cam action of the curved surface 27, consequently the closure or hooked member may be moved into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, the hooked end of the hooked member seating within the cut-out 28, and the enlargement being contiguous to the shoulder 99. When the hooked member reaches this position, the casing may be automatically moved into its normal position through the medium of the coil spring element 20 in order to positively and effectually retain the hooked member 24 in a closed position.

The releasing of the closure or hooked member may be efiected by the operator by simply moving the casing 18 downwardly on the reduced portion 12, until the outer edge thereof lies flush with the lower wall of the cut-out 28.

lVhen the parts are in normal relation to one another, the exposed major surfaces of the members 10 and 18 are flush and combine in presenting two opposite plane and substantially unbroken surfaces that are free from any lateral projections, so that the snap cannot be opened accidentally or by the attempts of a horse or other brute. Moreover, this device being relatively flat and wide, the parts 10 and 18 are non-rotary relative to one another; and the device is,

, therefore, not subject to change of the normal relation of these parts, nor to the dis-' advantages resulting from such change for instance, where the securing means comprise a screw and nut which are likely to become accidentally rotated and rendered ineifective, or where the relatively rotary parts may be slightly inaccurate and may, by the relative rotation move into binding relation, or make squeaking noises when thus rotating.

The casing 18 is normally completely filled, and therefore, the same is prevented from becoming bulged inward or otherwise distorted by outward pressure. Moreover, the casing is of such shape as to be easily pressed from a blank of sheet metal or formed from a tubular section of metal with a comparatively few mechanical operations.

From the foregoing it is thought that the advantages and novel features of my invention will be readily apparent and it is also thought that the simplicity of operation will be readily recognized,

In reducing my invention to practice I find that the form referred to herein as the most practical and preferred embodiment is the most efficient, but realizing that certain conditions will necessarily vary in concurrence with the adoption of my device, I desire to emphasize'the fact that various minor changes in the details of construction and in the proportion of parts may be resorted to when required without sacrificing any of the advantages of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A snap hook comprising a relatively flat and wide body having a recess therein and having a shoulder forming a wall of said recess, said body being also provided with a shoulder which extends across the relatively broad sides and across one of the relatively narrow sides thereof, said body being also formed witharelativelywide and flat tapering element which has its wider end at,

the last said shoulder and is provided with a cylindrical extension at its narrower end, a hooked member pivotally mounted on the said body and being normally seated with its free end portion in the recess of said body and engaging with the first said shoulder, a'

relatively fiat and wide tapering casing hZLV'r mg its wider end normally 1n contact with the second said shoulder and 111 engagement with said hooked member so as to cooperate with the first said shoulder for preventing dislodgment of the hooked member from said recess, said casing being non-rotatable with relation to said body and being movable away from the second said shoulder a sufficient distance'to disengage said hooked member, means for connecting said cylindrical extension to a strap or the like, and a spring surrounding said cylindrical extension and cooperating with said means for yieldingly retaining said casing in its normal and operative position.

2. A snap hook comprising a body provided with a reduced portion and with a shoulder where the reduced portion is united with the relatively thick and wide portion, the said body also being provided with a re cess which is formed partly in said reduced portion and partly in said relatively thick and wide portion, a shoulder forming a part of the wall of said recess. a hooked member pivotally secured to said body and movable into and out of said recess so as to be engaged with and disengaged from thesecond said shoulder, a casing normally fitted snugly around said reduced portion and having its outer surface flush with the outer surface of said relatively thick and wide portion of the body while an end of said casing abuts against the first said shoulder and while a portion of said casing incloses a portion of said recess, said reduced portion entirely filling said casing when the latter is in its normal position, means carried by said body for connecting it to a strap or the like, and means cooperative with the first said means for holding said casing in 10 its normal position against the first said shoulder, said hooked member being normally locked in said recess by the cooperation of said casing and the second said shoulder.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature is Copies 01 this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

